Church of God in Christ

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The Church Of God in Christ ( COGIC ) is a Christian denomination of Pentecostal-Holiness with African-American membership. The denomination report has more than 12,000 churches and more than 6.5 million members in the United States. The National Council of Churches placed him as the fifth largest Christian denomination in the US.

Internationally, COGIC can be found in over 83 countries. Its worldwide membership is estimated at between six to eight million, which make up more than 25,000 congregations around the world. The current bishop is Bishop Charles Edward Blake Sr., who is Senior Pastor of the Los Angeles Lord Church in Christ.

Video Church of God in Christ

History

Power of Origin

The Church of God in Christ was formed in 1897 by an ostracized Baptist, especially Charles Price Jones (1865-1949) and Charles Harrison Mason (1864-1961). In the 1890s, C. Jones and C. H. Mason were licensed Baptist servants in Mississippi who taught Wesleyan doctrine of Christian perfection or Whole Sanction as the second work of grace to their Baptist church. C. H. Mason was influenced by the testimony of the African-American Methodist evangelist, Amanda Berry Smith, one of the most respected evangelical African-American denominators of the nineteenth century. The story of his life brought many African-Americans into the Holiness movement, including C.H. Bricklayer. He testified to receive the Whole Sanctification after reading his autobiography.

In June 1898, C. P. Jones held a Holiness service at Mt. The Helm Baptist Church in Jackson, Mississippi, was attended by C. H. Mason and others from several states. Protestant doctrinal debates about Calvinism and Wesleyan Perfectionism affected how even local African-American Baptist ministers responded to the new Christian movement at the time. Some African-American Baptist ministers in the local South such as Mississippi, Tennessee, and Arkansas consider C. P. Jones and C. H. Mason to be controversial. The leadership of the Mississippi State Convention of the National Baptist Convention intervened and expelled C. P. Jones, C. H. Mason, and others who professed the Wesleyan teaching of All Sanctification.

In 1897, after being excommunicated from the sermon at the local Baptist churches under the Mississippi State Convention, Elder Mason founded St. John's Church. Paul in Lexington, Mississippi, as the first church of the new movement. At the first meeting held in 1897, the group was identified only as "The Church of God." Many Holiness Christian groups and fellowship formed at that time wanted biblical names for local churches and their fellowship, such as "Church of God, Church of Christ, or Church of the Living God." They reject denominational names such as Baptists, Methodists, or Episcopalians.

Because so many groups of holiness and new fellowship are formed that use the name "Church of God," C. H. Mason looks for names to distinguish His Holiness from others. Then in 1897, while in Little Rock, Arkansas, C. H. Mason believed that God had given him such a name for the group, "The Church of God in Christ". He believed that the name, taken from 1 Thessalonians 2:14, was revealed divinely and inspired biblically. This Holiness/fellowship group adopted the name of the Lord's Church in Christ, and COGIC began to develop congregations throughout the South. C. P. Jones was elected as General Controller, C. H. Mason was elected as Superintendent in Tennessee, and J. A. Jeter was elected as Arkansas Controller,

Having testified to be sanctified, church members call themselves "Saints," believing that they are separated to live the daily life of Christian Holiness in words and deeds.

The origins of Pentecost

In 1906, C. H. Mason, J. A Jeter and D. J. Young were appointed committees by C. P. Jones to investigate revival reports in Los Angeles, California led by a traveling preacher named William J. Seymour. Jones became acquainted with Seymour between 1895 and 1905, as Seymour's journey took him to many Holiness preachers such as John G. Lake and Martin Wells Knapp. Mason's visit to the Azusa Awakening changed the direction of the newly formed church of holiness. During his visit, Mason received the baptism of the Holy Spirit; the evidence is believed to be "speaking in another language", in accordance with the biblical record found in Acts 2: 4. Upon his return to Jackson, Mississippi, Mason faces opposition when he recounts his experiences. Not all of his congregations will accept "speaking in tongues" as evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. At the COGIC 1907 Convention held in Jackson, the separation took place between Jones and other church leaders because of the disagreements.

After being rejected for accepting these new teachings, Mason met in Memphis and reorganized the Church of God in Christ as the sacred Pentecostal body. The early pioneers of the newly formed Holiness-Pentecostal body in 1907 were the ER Driver, J. Bowe, RR Booker, RE Hart, W. Welsh, AA Blackwell, EM Blackwell, EM Pages, RHI Clark, DJ Young, James Brewer, Daniel Spearman, and JH Boone. These elders became the first Pentecostal General Assembly of the Church of God in Christ. They unanimously voted for C.H. Mason as General Superintendent and Chief Apostle. Masons are authorized to lead new denominations.

The Church of God in Christ became the first official Pentecostal body established in the United States. C. P. Jones and the leaders of Holiness who did not embrace the Azusa Awakening experience continued as the church of Holiness. In 1915, they organized the officially charitable body of Holiness called the Church of Christ (Holiness) of America.

Maps Church of God in Christ

Growth and development

Senior and Bishop's Adviser

• Bishop Charles Harrison Mason 1907-1961 - Founder and Senior Bishop
• Bishop Thurston Jones, Sr. 1961-1968 - Second Senior Bishop
• Bishop James Oglethorpe Patterson, Sr. 1968-1989 - First Leadiding Bishop (elected six times)
• Bishop Louis Henry Ford 1990-1995 - Second Chosen Bishop (elected twice)
• Bishop Chandler David Owens, Sr. 1995-2000 - The three Chosen Archbishops (elected once)
• Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson 2000-2007 - Four Chiefs of Selected Counselors (elected twice)
• Bishop Charles Edward Blake, Sr. 2007-Present - Fifth Elected Presiding Bishop (elected three times)
Bishop_C._H._Mason_era_ (1907-1961) "> Bishop CH Masonic Era (1907-1961)

After moving to Memphis, Tennessee, Bishop Mason formed a local congregation called COGIC Temple. He also established COGIC national headquarters there. He called for the annual meeting of COGIC members, known as the "International Holy Meeting", to be held in Memphis. Initially, the gathering of the 'Saints' was held for twenty days, from 25 November to 14 December. This seasonal period was chosen because most COGIC members were farmers and finished harvesting their crops around this time. COGIC members gather for prayer, fasting, teaching, preaching, fellowship and doing business related to national COGIC organizations.

COGIC comes from African America in the southern states of Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee. But during the early 20th century, the Pentecostal movement experienced a rapid growth nationally and attracted a congregation that was racially integrated into its worship. Bishop Mason is very important in licensing and giving mandate to white and African-American ministers, who spread the Pentecostal message and build new churches. The first General Secretary of COGIC was Elder William B. Holt, a white minister. During 1910-1913, two white ministers, Elder H. A. Goss and Elder Leonard P. Adams, were clergymen under the authority of C. H. Mason. They are authorized through "gentlemen's agreement" to license the minister and establish churches under the name COGIC.

More than a decade after the Azusa Awakening, in 1914, shortly before the United States entered World War I, some 300 white ministers, representing independent churches and church networks, including Indiana's "Christian Assembly Association"; and "The Church of God in Christ and Unity with the Apostolic Faith Movement" of Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas; meet in Hot Springs, Arkansas. They decided to break away from COGIC and form what would eventually become the Assemblies of God. There seems to be no prospect of an integrated pentecostal movement under the leadership of an African American like C. H. Mason. Organizers of the meeting in Hot Springs have sent an invitation only to white ministers to discuss a new movement. Bishop Mason attended the opening meeting, addressed the assembly and praised the leaders for his master's work.

Fraction H. A. Goss left COGIC to join Assemblies of God USA. Over time, ministers and churches under Leonard P. Adams were also separated from COGIC; they are assimilated to other white Pentecostal groups or organizations. In 1916, several white churches were organized as the white branch of COGIC. William B. Holt was appointed General Controller. The racial climate in the post-World War I period, when there was high competition for jobs and housing and violent riots in many cities in 1919, would not maintain this relationship. Finally ended in 1930, when the Depression took place.

Mason continues to travel throughout the country and preaches and builds the church of COGIC. As African Americans migrated north and west to industrial cities during the Great Migration, it began to establish COGIC churches in the north and, especially after 1940, in the west. Mason sends ministers and evangelists to cities and urban areas outside the South, including William Roberts (Chicago), OM Kelly (New York), OT Jones Sr. (Philadelphia), ER Driver (Los Angeles), and Samuel Kelsey (Washington, DC). ) From these big cities, COGIC spread all over the country.

In 1926, Mason passed a church constitution, outlining the rules, rules, and regulations of the church. In 1933, he separated the five supervisors to the Office of Bishops in the church, the first five bishops of COGIC. Those who are consecrated are I. S. Stafford (Detroit, Michigan), E. M. Page (Dallas, Texas), W. M. Roberts (Chicago, Illinois), O. T. Jones, Sr. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), and R. F. Williams (Cleveland, Ohio).

The first national tabernacle was built and completed in 1925. The fire was destroyed in 1936. In 1945, Mason dedicated the Mason Temple in Memphis as a national church meeting place. Built in 1940 during World War II, a nearly 4,000-seat building is the largest church auditorium of African-American religious groups in the United States. After his death, Mason was buried there, the only one who was so well respected. Mason Temple remained the site of the International Holy Meeting until the mid-1970s, when the number of delegates far exceeded its capacity. Many COGIC members will refer to their preparation to attend the COGIC Holy Annual Meeting as preparing for "Jerusalem", with Mason Temple a special purpose.

In 1951, when Bishop Mason approached the age of 85, he formed a "special commission" to assist church administration and oversight. On June 5, 1951, he chose Bishop A.B. McEwen, Bishop J. S. Bailey, and Bishop O. M. Kelly as his assistant. On May 19, 1952, he added Bishop J. O. Patterson, Sr. Also in 1952, Mason revised the Constitution to determine the leadership and succession of the church after his death. Three years later on October 12, 1955, he added three more bishops to the hierarchy: Bishop U. E. Miller, Bishop S. M. Crouch, and Bishop O. T. Jones, Sr. The seventh group of bishops is officially known as the Executive Commission; they took greater responsibility for the affairs of the church until Mason's death.

In 1907, there were ten COGIC churches, but at the time of Bishop Mason's death in 1961, COGIC had spread to every state in the United States and to many foreign countries. It has a membership of over 400,000, which supports more than 4,000 churches.

Bishop O.T. Era Jones Sr. (1962-1968)

1962-1968 has been described as the "Dark Period" in the history of the Lord's Church in Christ, because there is polarization and conflict in leadership after the death of its founder. After Mason's death, in accordance with the 1952 church constitution, church control was returned to the bishops' Council. However, the General Assembly has authority on the Executive Board of seven bishops elected by Bishop Mason prior to his death. The COGIC Constitution at that time did not identify a clear successor or authority of the Executive Board after Mason's death. A. B. McEwen was elected chair of the Executive Board, and O. Jones Sr. elected as Senior Bishop by the General Assembly.

Bishop Thurston Jones Sr. is a pastor of the Church of God's Holy Shrine in Christ in Philadelphia and Jurisdictional Bishop of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Jurisdiction. Bishop Jones is the only bishop alive of the five original bishops ordained by Bishop Mason. After the death of Bishop Mason, he took the leadership as the Senior Bishop of God's Church in Christ. However, in 1964, a dispute between the authority of the Senior Bishop and the Executive Council, led by Bishop A. B. Mcewen, reached its climax and was discussed at the Fifty-Seven Sacred Meeting. Factions develop within organizations as both Senior Bishop and Bishop A. B. McEwen make conflicting administrative and executive decisions.

The parties filed a lawsuit at the Chancery of Shelby County Courts, Tennessee, to settle the legitimate authority of the denomination. The court ordered the church to hold a constitutional convention in February 1968. The constitutional convention drafted and approved a new constitution: it dissolved both the office of the Senior Bishop and the Executive Board. The Constitution establishing the General Assembly is the supreme authority over the church, to decide on the matters of faith and practice that meet every two years. It also created the office of the Bishop's Chairman and the General Council of the twelve bishops, and defined their responsibilities. Both the Presiding Bishop and the twelve members of the General Council shall be elected every four years, to preside over the church when the General Assembly is not under surveillance. On 14 November 1968, the General Assembly of COGIC elected the first General Council and the Bishop of the Church.

First General Council 1968-1972

• Bishop J. O. Patterson, Sr. - Preparing the Bishop
• Bishop J. S. Bailey - First Assistant Superintendent of the Bishop
• Bishop S. M. Crouch - Second Assistant Bishop.
• Bishop W. N. Wells
• Bishop L. H. Ford
• Bishop O. M. Kelly
• Bishop C. E. Bennett
• Bishop J. A. Blake
• Bishop J. W. White
• Bishop D. L. Williams
• Bishop F. D. Washington
• Bishop J. D. Husband

Some bishops disagree with the new organizational structure; they broke with COGIC to start their own organization. The most prominent rift occurred in 1969, when fourteen bishops met in Evanston, Illinois to form the Church of God in Christ, International. They disagree in having the election process to elect the Bishop's Chair.

Another body operating under the same name, Church of God in Christ, International, separate and organized in the Northeast region under Bishop R. T. Jones of Philadelphia and Bishop C. E. Williams, Sr. Brooklyn, New York.

However Bishop O. T. Jones Sr did not leave COGIC. After being removed from the office of the senior Bishop, he remained Jurisdictional Bishop of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania until his death in 1972. COGIC continued to grow and in 1973, the church claimed worldwide membership of nearly three million.

Bishop JO Patterson era (1968 -1989)

Bishop James Oglethorpe Patterson, Sr. elected in November 1968 as the first Bishop of the Church by the General Assembly at the Sixteenth Holy Convocation of the Church. Bishop Patterson also dated the youngest man ever elected Bishop of COGIC at age 56; the second youngest of whom was his nephew, Gilbert Earl (GE) Patterson who became the Bishop's Chair in 2000 at the age of 60. The second. The son-in-law of Bishop Mason, Jo Patterson, Sr., has served the previous church as a member of the Executive Board and as Executive Secretary. He is pastor of the Institutional Pentecost of COGIC in Memphis, Tennessee, and is a Presiding Prelate of Tennessee Headquarters Jurisdiction. Patterson establishes worship protocols, policies, and practices. A new constitution and official church guide was completed in 1973. COGIC became a major force in the collective movement of the Black and Pentecostal Churches around the world. Its growth is rapid in many areas as one of the fastest growing and largest religious groups in the United States.

As the first elected Bishop, Bishop Patterson Sr. founded the Harrison Harrison Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia; System C. H. Mason of the Bible College; Department of Fine Arts J. O. Patterson, Sr. and Museum of History and Center for Fine Arts. He organized the Charles Harrison Mason Foundation and the Bishop's Benefit Fund, which provided scholarships to the members' children. He expanded COGIC Bookstore and COGIC Publishing House.

In 1982, Patterson led COGIC in Diamond Jubilee, in a celebration of the International Holy Convent. He founded the World Fellowship of the Black Pentecostal Church and gained COGIC membership in the Congress of the National Black Churches. His dream is to establish an international service complex known as the "Saints Center" and an accredited institution known as "All Saints University". He was elected four times undisputed as Chairman of the Bishop. He sanctified and raised more than 100 bishops during his twenty-first year of leadership. His initiative contributed to the growth of the church; with his death in 1989, he has over four million memberships in the United States, established in 47 foreign countries, and has 10,000 churches.

Bishop LH Ford era (1990 -1995)

Bishop Louis Henry Ford of Chicago, Illinois, was elected after the death of J.O. Patterson Sr. in 1989. Ford is the pastor of St. Paul COGIC in Chicago and Presiding Prelate of the Historic Illinois First Jurisdiction. He is a strong supporter of social justice. He became nationally recognized in 1955 to lead the 15-year-old burial ceremony of Emmett Till, who was brutally murdered in Mississippi. He gave a speech to arrive at Robert's Temple COGIC in 1955.

As a Bishop Chairman whose previous service has spanned the history of many social and cultural changes, Ford emphasized his return to the historic foundation or, as he described "The Old Landmark" of early COGIC practices and traditions. He criticized the liturgy, the cloak, and the high modernity of the church that has been adopted by many congregations since its early years with COGIC. He works to remind members of the pioneers of COGIC pioneers. He reopened the Saints and College Colleges in Lexington, Mississippi, which were in financial trouble and closed in the early 1970s after the death of its influential leader, Arenia Conella Mallory. He also built a multi-million dollar Deborah Mason Patterson Hall building on campus.

Bishop Ford also renovated some of the COGIC structures in Memphis, including Mason Temple. The bishop of Ford is credited with inviting President Bill Clinton, a personal friend, to speak with the International Delegation of the Eighty Six International on November 13, 1993. Clinton is the only US president who has spoken at a COGIC meeting at Mason Temple.

Racial reconciliation

During the 1990s and the Bishop Ford government, Pentecostal denominations in the United States began work to heal racial disparities among churches. In 1994 the Association of Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America (PCCNA) was established, replacing what has become the all-white United States Pentecostal Fellowship (PFNA). In the so-called Memphis Miracle, the new group is formed as an inclusive organization, to represent all major Pentecostal groups in North America regardless of race. Since its creation, it has had the leadership of the joint chairman. One position has been filled by a bishop of COGIC, usually a member of the General Council. The others were filled by white minister of the previous PFNA.

Era Bishop CD Owens (1996 -2000)

Bishop Chandler David Owens, Sr. was elected the Bishop's Chair following the death of Bishop Ford in 1995. C. D. Owens received national attention in the church as President of the Youth Department. He was a leading evangelist who had pastored several churches, including: The Temple of Bostick at St. Louis, Missouri; Well's Cathedral COGIC in Newark, New Jersey; and COGIC Great Community in Marietta, Georgia. He also served as Presiding Prelate of the New Jersey Garden Jurisdiction and Central Georgia Jurisdiction.

Bishop Owens led COGIC in a hundred-year celebration in 1997 with the theme, "Holiness, Proven Foundation for a Promising Future!" He is credited with departmental and church ministries that are systematically restructured, expanding churches in Asia, especially India and the Philippines, and putting COGIC into a strong financial status. Owens outlines a progressive plan to position COGIC for service in the twenty-first century, known as "Vision 2000 and Beyond."

In 2000 at the 19th International Holy Assembly, the General Assembly of COGIC elected Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson to replace Owens as Bishop of the Chair. Owens continued to serve as bishop of jurisdiction and members of the General Council until his death in 2011.

Era Bishop GE Patterson (2000 -2007)

Bishop Gilbert Earl (G. E.) Patterson began his ministry as co-pastor of Holy Temple COGIC with his father, Bishop W. A. ​​Patterson. In 1975, he resigned as a common minister, withdrawing his membership at COGIC due to leadership disagreements with his uncle, J. O. Patterson, Sr. about the establishment of other jurisdictions in the city of Memphis. J. O. Patterson Sr. was the Presiding Bishop of the time. G. E. Patterson founded Temple of Deliverance, Bountiful Blessing Cathedral which grew into the largest Pentecostal church in Memphis with more than 14,000 members. In 1988, after a thirteen-year exodus from COGIC, Bishop G. E. Patterson returned as Founder of the Fourth Establishment of the Fourth Newly Arranged Jurisdiction. In 2000, he was elected Bishop of COGIC. Bishop Patterson was the second youngest person ever elected Bishop of COGIC at the age of 60 in 2000, in addition to his uncle, Bishop Jo Patterson, Sr. 56 years old when he was elected Bishop of the Chair in 1968. He reignited the church into a denomination The main Pentecost. He was able to bridge denominational barriers and encourage non-COGIC ministries to work collaboratively with COGIC denominations. He founded COGIC Charities which has provided thousands of dollars in college scholarships and disaster relief efforts such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Bishop CE Blake Era (Bishop_C._E._Blake_Era_ (2007-present) " 2007-present)

Bishop Charles E. Blake took the lead and elected the Bishop of the Church after the death of Bishop G.E. Patterson in March 2007. Bishop Blake is Senior Pastor of COGIC West Angeles Cathedral in Los Angeles. Over the years, West Angeles has become one of the fastest growing churches in the United States and remains the largest local congregation of COGIC with a membership of 25,000. C. E. Blake served as the Presidate Prelate of the First Jurisdiction of Southern California. Bishop Blake led COGIC through the death of G. E. Patterson while preparing the church for the 100th Conventional Convention; an important milestone for the church. Bishop Blake leads COGIC to become a larger global ministry, especially in Africa and Latin America, while at the same time investing in inner cities where many COGIC trials are located. He is also known for his aggressive initiative, "Save Africa's Children" which supports hundreds of African children who have been infected with HIV/AIDS in orphanages in several African countries.

In 2009, Bishop Blake launched an aggressive program known as the "Urban Initiative" to tackle the plight of urban America. In 2010, Bishop Blake led over 50,000 delegates to the 103rd International Holy Convention to St. Petersburg. Louis, Missouri. In 2018, Bishop Blake leads COGIC in partnership with the Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees of America (AFSCME) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis to continue fighting for civil rights in the United States. the 21st century.



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Theology

COGIC is a denomination of the Holiness of Pentecostal Trinity. The Church teaches three separate and distinct works of grace that God does in the lives of believers: salvation, sanctification, and baptism or the accumulation of the Holy Spirit. The Church declares to be evangelical in the ministry, fundamental in doctrine and practice and Pentecostal in worship and expression. The theology and beliefs of COGIC can be seen as a mixture of different Pentecostal-Holiness both from Calvinist and Arminian theology.

Confirmation statement

The faith of the Church of God in Christ is briefly written in its Belief Statement, reproduced below: It is often recited in various congregations as part of the order of worship and all national and international meetings.

• We believe that the Bible is the inspired and perfect Word of God.
• We believe that there is One God, eternally in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and the Lord of the Holy Spirit.
• We believe in the Blessed Hope, which is the rapture of the Lord's Church, which is in Christ, at His coming.
• We believe that the only way to be cleansed from sin is through repentance and faith in the precious Blood of Jesus Christ.
• We believe that regeneration by the Holy Spirit is essential to personal salvation.
• We believe that Christ's redemptive work on the Cross provides healing for the human body in response to a believing prayer.
• We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to Acts 2: 4, is given to the believer who asked him (Him).
• We believe in the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, who lives in it a Christian is enabled to live a holy and separate life in this world. Amen

Doctrine

According to the Religious Articles in COGIC's Official Manual, COGIC believes in biblical inspiration and argues that the Bible is the ultimate and final authority for doctrine and practice. There is one eternal God in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. COGIC teaches the deity of Jesus Christ, his virgin birth, sinless life, physical death, burial, resurrection, ascension and return to earth. Christ is the head of the church. He is the only mediator between God and man, and there is no salvation elsewhere. COGIC teaches that the Holy Spirit is alive and active in the world. The Holy Spirit is the agent that equips, empowers, directs, and guides the church until Christ's return.

COGIC teaches that angels are messengers sent from God who serve during creation, throughout the Old Testament, the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, the establishment of the church and the ministry of the apostles, and continue to work in the Kingdom of God. They exist primarily in the spiritual realm and are organized according to tasks and functions. Satan exists as a manifest evil or unclean spirit. They are fallen angels who join Satan in an effort to fail to seize power in Heaven. They are at present as enemies of the kingdom, the purpose and will of God. As Pentecost, the Church believes that the devil can be conquered and conquered by the power of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ.

COGIC teaches that man is created perfect and innocent in the image of God as a tripartite who has body, soul, and spirit. Sin comes from eternity when Satan commits an open rebellion against God in heaven. Sin was transmitted to humans when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, as a result all human beings had original sin. The consequences of sin are human depravity, broken relationships with God, shame and guilt, and physical and spiritual death. Humanity can only be restored through the salvation offered only through Jesus Christ. The human soul is immortal and will spend eternity both in heaven as redeemed or in hell as the damned.

COGIC teaches that salvation is the work of redemption for sinners and restorations for divine good and communion with God. Salvation is the operation of the Holy Spirit upon sinners brought by repentance to God, which results in repentance, faith, justification, and regeneration. It teaches that salvation is the work of grace brought through faith in Jesus Christ; he does not disseminate or encourage the doctrine of "lasting security", also known as "once saved, always saved."

COGIC teaches that sanctification is a continuous operation of the Holy Spirit, by which he "frees the justified sinner from the sinful nature, renews all his character in the image of God and enables him to do good deeds." It is a separate and distinct grace work that takes place in believers' lives after conversion. It teaches that sanctification must precede baptism with the Holy Spirit.

COGIC teaches that the baptism of the Holy Spirit or the Holy Spirit is an experience after conversion and sanctification can be experienced by all believers who ask for it. As a Pentecostal church, COGIC teaches that when a person is baptized in the Holy Spirit, believers will experience early proof of speaking in tongues (glossolalia) by the will of God. COGIC does not teach that the baptism of the Spirit is equal to salvation. According to the Articles of Religion, "We believe that we are not baptized with the Holy Spirit to be saved, but that we are baptized with the Holy Spirit because we are saved". COGIC also teaches that all spiritual gifts are for believers today.

COGIC teaches that the church is a community of Christian believers who have accepted Jesus Christ and submitted to their Powers and authority in their lives. It can be talked about as individuals and collectives, physically and spiritually. This includes not only those who are members of COGIC, but all believers who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. COGIC teaches that according to the Word of God there will be final events and conditions that address the end of the world today. These events include physical death, transitional state, bodily resurrection, Second Coming of Christ, the Great Tribulation, the Battle of Armageddon, the Millennial Reign, the Final Judgment, the future of the wicked in hell, and the life of the redeemed in heaven.

COGIC believes in divine healing, however, it does not advocate the exclusion of medical supervision. It believes that the gift of the Spirit is given to believers and is active in the church today. The church's ordinance is water baptism by immersion, the Lord's Supper and foot wash. The church does not practice infant baptism or baptism, but does infant dedication in formal ceremonies.

Distinctives

As a classical Pentecostal sacred church, COGIC continues to embrace its heritage of holiness, teaching moderation in dress, appearance, participation in secular entertainment and a ban on profanity, alcohol, substance abuse and immoral behavior. The Church has a tradition of prayer, fasting, praise, and consecration that was once unique to the Holiness or Pentecostal group. Many mainline denominations and many nondenominational churches that have rejected these beliefs and practices have adopted this distinction in the liturgy of worship and their lifestyle practices.

Marriage and sexuality

COGIC pastor is allowed to marry. Re-marrying is not recommended, except in case of the death of a spouse. Divorce is considered inconsistent with biblical teachings and is not recommended as well. COGIC considers every physical and sexual relationship outside the sanctity of marriage to be outside the will of a sovereign God. The COGIC clergy do not formally sanction or recognize same-sex relationships to be combined together in marriage. COGIC continues to maintain its official position as opposed to legalizing same-sex marriage and considers homosexuality, infidelity, and other forms of fornication inconsistent with Scripture. COGIC policies and regulations have been established on the erroneous sexual behavior of the COGIC clergy. COGIC ministers are encouraged to attend wedding counseling training.

Abortion

COGIC has always been traditionally anti-abortion/pro-life. Denominations teach that God gives life to man, biologically and spiritually, through the moment of conception in the mother's womb, using Jeremiah 1: 5, Genesis 1: 26-27, and Psalms 139: 13-16 as their basic scriptures for this belief. COGIC teaches that because God uses conception through and after sexual reproduction and sexual relationships to create human life, which deliberately abort human fetuses contrary to God's Word and Christian ethics, and it is considered a sin against God and the Bible in denominations. However, the Church believes that in some extreme or rare cases, medical and operational abortion may be the safest way to help mothers if pregnancy endangers the life and health of the mother. However, COGIC believes that nevertheless in the case of saving a mother's life, the abortion should still be regarded as the last resort, if all other options to help the unborn mother and fetus are completely exhausted. COGIC believes "... that if such cases arise, mothers should pray and seek the wisdom and guidance of God and the Holy Spirit on whether they should use emergency abortions if necessary to save their lives," but if not, the Church has traditionally encouraged pregnant women to "... seek God's guidance for other choices and choices about unborn babies so they do not have to choose to abort, and can safely go through pregnancy until delivery." COGIC also encourages mothers that if they know they will not be able to provide proper care to their child, they should seek help to give the child a personal adoption, adoption of the law through domestic or international adoption agencies, or parenting.

In July 2016 during their annual Auxiliaries In Ministries Convention, COGIC announced the Outreach Initiative department and their Mission and Charity department will partner with The Human Coalition, a pro-life anti-abortion advocacy group, from 2016-2019 for three year initiatives to encourage COGIC ministers and ministers to encourage pro-life anti-abortion advocacy in their local churches. The three-year initiative will also help encourage COGIC ministers to use their mission and charity services in local churches to help offer assistance and assistance to African Americans and other ethnic minority people, and low-income people in local communities who consider and contemplate abortion and offer help and assistance to people who deal with the economic and medical problems of pregnancy. The three-year initiative with the Human Coalition is also expected to encourage local COGIC clergy leaders across the United States, both men and women, to partner with other anti-abortion advocacy groups and Christian service to lobby for more statewide anti-abortion bans local.

Civil rights

Organized in the south and having African-American-dominated membership, COGIC has had a long history of advancing civil rights. Pentecost has been criticized for their striking absence of official notes of activism largely overshadowed by other denominational black ministers such as Baptists and Methodists; however, there is undeniable evidence to verify and document the roles and responses of other COGIC and Pentecostal ministers for causes and the struggle for Civil Rights.

As stated earlier, COGIC, though predominantly black, had significant white membership over the first decade of its existence, with a number of white ministers holding leadership positions in the church. But after a meeting in Hot Springs and the establishment of the Assemblies of God, COGIC's white constituents continued to decline, to almost none in the 1930s. During World War I, the FBI opened an archive of Bishop Mason and supervised him for pacifism during the war. Bishop Mason teaches COGIC members not to fight, but rather because he is against African-Americans who are called to fight abroad for freedom and then return home and are treated as second-class citizens and hanged in their uniforms. During the forties and fifties, Bishop Mason often invited selected white officials in the city of Memphis to the International Holy Hour on Night Evening. Supervisor E.R. Driver, who is a California watchdog and pastor of COGIC Sweet Home leads interracial meetings for years. But his critique of racial prejudice against whites causes most, if not all of them, leave their church for other ministries where messages against racism are not very clear and offensive to them. During the thirties and forties, a white COGIC elder named James L. Delk who remained in the church after many white people left, was very active in politics in Missouri and worked to promote civil rights by writing legislative and petitioning the government federally on behalf of COGIC. He is credited with helping secure the steel needed to build the Mason Temple which is almost impossible during World War II.

During the fifties and sixties, during the height of the civil rights movement, COGIC ministers and assemblies played host to many important events. In 1955, Emmett Till's funeral was held at Robert's Temple Church Of God In Christ in Chicago, Illinois. Mamie Until Mosley was a member of COGIC and then Elder Henry Louis Ford, who would later become the bishop of the church, presided over the service. In Chicago, Ford is organizing a voter registration initiative. He protested during the 1950s and 1960s against segregation of lodging in Memphis, while participating in the COGIC Holy Convocations there during the Civil Rights era before federal law banned such segregation. Ten years later on February 25, 1965, when Malcolm X was murdered and needed a place for his funeral; There is no church or large black facility that will open their doors for worship. Bishop Alvin A. Childs of the Faith Temple, the Church of God in Christ (later called Child's Memorial in his honor) is the pastor who finally opened the door. According to Alex Haley, "He and his wife then received bomb threats at home and at church." Malcolm X's Funeral was held in Harlem, New York at Faith Temple Church Of God In Christ.

In 1965, during March to Selma, a young COGIC minister Charles E. Blake, (now CoGAD Presiding Bishop) is studying at the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta, GA. He led a group of students to participate in March in Selma. In 1968, two sanitation workers who were also members of COGIC, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were destroyed to death in the garbage compactor where they took shelter from the rain. Their pastor then was the elder Gilbert Earl Patterson, who also became a Bishop of COGIC, at Holy Temple COGIC in Memphis, TN. He is one of nine members of the strategy committee that organizes a sanitation strike in Memphis. Holy Temple COGIC is the first church to open the door for the waste workers. On April 3, 1968, MLK delivered his last "I Have Been to the Top of Mount" speech at Mason Lord Temple Church in Christ in Memphis, Tennessee. He was killed the next day, April 4, 1968 on the balcony of Lorraine Motel.

Throughout the seventies and eighties, as COGIC continued to grow into millions nationally, COGIC ministers across the country continued to advance civil rights in their communities. As the International Holy Meeting evolves into the thousands, COGIC leaders must negotiate with city officials to provide hotel accommodation for saints. Pdt. Al Sharpton, a prominent civil rights activist, began his career as minister at COGIC. His pastor and mentor is Bishop F. D. Washington from Brooklyn, NY. In 1984 and 1988 respectively, Reverend Jesse Jackson was invited to speak during the COGIC International Holy Convention when he ran for president. During the nineties, President Bill Clinton was invited by COGIC Presiding Bishop then, Louis Henry Ford to attend the International Holy Convent. President Clinton and gave a speech at the COGIC meeting including the International Holy Meeting at Mason Temple and the Womens International Convention. At the beginning of the new millennium, then COGIC chairman Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson, continues to support the progress of civil rights. During the current administration of Bishop Charles Blake, COGIC launched the Urban Initiative Program to provide 60,000 programs nationwide through more than 12,000 congregations to continue promoting civil rights work, and to reduce poverty, crime and violence, etc. In 2018, Bishop Charles Blake along with Lee Saunders, Andrew Young, DeMaurice Smith, and Brian Dunn coordinated the "I AM 2018 Mountaintop Conference" at the historic Mason Temple in Memphis to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the assassination. Martin Luther King, Jr.



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Government

According to the 1973 Constitution, the church has two structures to govern the church: civil and ecclesiastical. The civil structure of the Lord's Church in Christ includes a President, First Vice President, Second Vice President, General Secretary, Treasurer, and Secretary of Finance. All officers are elected by the General Assembly. The Secretary-General, the Treasurer, and the term Secretary of Treasury go hand in hand with the current presidential government elected every four years.

Company Structure

Public attendant

• Bishop - Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr.
• The 1st Assistant of Bishop P. A. Brooks
• Assistant 2 Bishop's Supervisor - Bishop Jerry W. Macklin
• General Secretary - Bishop Joel H. Lyles, Jr.
• Chairman of the General Assembly - Bishop Lemuel F. Thuston
• General Treasurer - Bishop Charles Harrison Mason Patterson
• The Secretary of Treasury - Bishop Frank A. White

The legislative authority of the church was given to the General Assembly, consisting of members of the General Council, Jurisdiction/Auxiliary Bishop, the Supervisory Jurisdiction, Reverend, Pastor, Elders who Ordained, four Missionary District and six lay members from each jurisdiction. General Assembly shall elect the General Council of the 12-person (Presidium) every four years on the college of bishops, which serves functionally as apostles of the church. The General Assembly meets twice each year in April and November while the Presidium acts as the executive branch of the church, overseeing the daily operations when the General Assembly is not in session. As a result, the General Council exercised great authority over the church. Presidium including Bishop International Advisors are selected separately by the General Assembly who served for four years, which, subsequently appointed two assistant head of the bishops. The Presiding Bishop and Chief Apostle are Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. National officials of the church are elected in the General Assembly every four years unless special elections are guaranteed. The Judicial Council functions as a judicial branch and is the supreme body that interprets politics and practice. He has nine members, elected by the General Assembly, including three bishops, three elders, and three lay members.

Members of the General Council Quadrennial 2016-2020

• Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr. - Bishop Chairman (2007-present) and Board Member (1988-present)
• Bishop Phillip A. Brooks - First Assistant Bishop (1984-present)
• W. Bishop Jerry Macklin - Second Assistant Supervisor Bishop (2004-present)
• Bishop Sedgwick Daniels - Secretary of the General Council (2008-present)
• Bishop Lawrence Wooten - General Board Assistant Secretary (2012-present)
• Bishop George D. McKinney - Board Member (2000-present)
• Bishop Nathaniel W. Wells - Board Member (2000-present)
• Bishop John. Drew Sheard - Board Member (2012-present)
• Bishop Brandon B. Porter - Board Member (2012-present)
• Bishop Ted G. Thomas, Sr. - Board Members (2012-present)
• Bishop Darrell L. Hines - Board Member (2016-present)
• Bishop Matthew Williams - Board Member (2016-present)

Emeritus Members of the General Council

• Bishop Wilbur W. Hamilton
• Bishop Roy L. H. Winbush

In addition to the General Council, there is a Council of Bishops composed of all jurisdictional and auxiliary bishops, the Council of the National Trustees of 15 members elected for a four-year term, the General Council of Pastors and Elders open to the officially recognized priest and elders who ordained today in the church.

Additional attendant

• Chairman of the Bishop John Henry Sheard
• First Deputy Chairman of the Bishop's Council - Bishop Albert Galbreath
• 2nd Deputy Chairman of the Bishop's Board - Bishop Roger Jones
• Secretary of the Bishop's Council - Bishop William Watson
• Assistant Secretary of the Bishop's Council - Bishop Adrian Williams
• Chairman of the General Council of Pastors and Elders - Inspector Michael Eaddy
• Vice Chairman of the General Council of Pastors and Elders - Inspector Marcus Ways
• Secretary of the General Council of Pastors and Elders - Inspector Prince W. Bryant, II
• Treasurer of the General Council of Pastors and Elders - Father Thomas May
• Chief Operating Officer - Bishop Edwin C. Bass
• Adjutant-General - Bishop Robert G. Rudolph, Jr.
• General Supervisor, Department of Women - Mrs. Barbara McCoo Lewis
• Chairman of the National Justice Board - Superintendent Thomas Jackson, Jr.
• First Deputy Chairman of the National Justice Council - Bishop Talbert W. Swan, I am
• Second Deputy Chairman of the National Justice Council - Dr. Valda Slack
• Secretary of the National Justice Council - Bishop E. Charles Connor
• Chairman of the National Supervisory Board - Bishop Dwight E. Walls, Sr.
• Deputy Speaker of the General Assembly - Bishop Jerry W. Maynard
• Assistant Secretary-General - Bishop Talbert W. Swan II
• Assistant Treasurer - Superintendent Kendall Anderson
• Assistant Secretary of Treasury - Elder David A. Sanders
• Chairman of AIM - Superintendent Linwood Dillard
• Chairman of the Conference of Men - Inspector Michael Golden
• Superintendent, International Sunday School - Bishop Alton Gatlin
• President, International Youth Department - Dr. Ben Stephens
• President, International Department of Mission - Bishop Vincent Matthews
• President, International Department of Evangelism - Bishop Elijah Hankerson
• President, Department of International Music - Dr. Judith C. McAllister

Ecclesiastical structure

The ecclesial structure of the Lord's Church in Christ is a form of episcopal prespenisian government. The churches are organized in a diocese called jurisdiction, each under the authority of a bishop. There is a Bishop Chair, known as the Chief Apostle of the Church. The Chief Speaker is part of the General Council, composed of eleven other bishops elected by the General Assembly consisting of pastors, elders, priests, bishops, missionaries, supervisors, and assigned lay delegates. The General Assembly is the supreme authority over the church to decide on matters of faith and practice. Jurisdiction ranges from 30 to 100 churches. Every state in the US consists of at least one jurisdiction and some states have more than one jurisdiction. There are more than 200 ecclesiastical jurisdictions around the world with 170 in the United States. Jurisdiction is shaped similarly to the National Church in terms of composition, government, and procedure.

Annual event

• Leadership Conference (January)
• General Meeting and Call Meeting (April) Memphis
• Men's Conference (May)
• General Council of Pastors and Elders (May)
• International Women's Convention (May)
• National Judicial Conference (June)
• Complement in Ministry Conference (AIM) (July)
• Bishop Mason's Birthday (September)
• Bishops Conference (September)
• International Holy Meeting and General Meetings (November)

The world headquarters is in Memphis, Tennessee at Mason Temple.



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Departmental department

During the formation phase of COGIC, Bishop Mason organized the department to further support the work of the church as it continues to grow and develop. These departments include: Women's Department, Sunday School Department, Youth Department known as Y.P.W.W. (Young People Who Love Workers), and Mission and Evangelism. As COGIC continues to grow, new departments, auxiliaries and ministries have been established including the Department of Music, National Aides, Men's Departments, CharGIC Charities, and Urban Initiatives to name a few. This complement is found in almost every church, district, and jurisdiction within COGIC and serves to support the COGIC holistic approach to ministry within the church and the larger community served by the COGIC hearings.

Women's Department

Women in COGIC have been influential in the leadership and organizing of churches since its inception. They are the largest department at COGIC. Bishop Mason opposed the ordination of women for official ministry, but in 1911 created an autonomous department to promote the ministry of women in the church. The Church believes that women are gifted and called to serve; it does not, however, formally ordain women to the office of elder, priest, or bishop. Women are licensed in COGIC to teach the Gospel and meet the gospel as an Evangelist. COGIC licensed female evangelists serve as pastors in military, federal, state and local institutions who need pastors. This support allows female pastors serving in the military, working in institutions or prisons to perform religious services including funerals and weddings. A small number of pastor's wives have served as pastors of the regular sessions after the death of a pastor serving under the heading "pastor, mother pastor, or church administrator".

Organization department

A Women's Supervisor is appointed by the Bishop of the Chair and authorized to lead the International Ministry of Women in the church. Each jurisdictional bishop designates a jurisdictional supervisor to lead the work of women at the jurisdictional level. Supervisory jurisdictions are assisted by district missionaries who oversee the women's ministries in the district. Historically, women in service at COGIC were known as "Missionaries" and were defined in two categories: Deaconess Missionary, and Evangelist Missionary. Diaconess missionaries serve and assist in the ceremonial and temporal matters of the local church. Evangelical missionaries are licensed to teach the gospel, preside over gospel meetings, and may be given oversight of local congregations serving as church administrators. Recognizing the importance of women in service, COGIC has created many positions that allow women to work as peers for department presidents as Chief women (YPWW) and elected women (Evangelism).

At the local church level next to the missionary office, COGIC was developed and has retained the position of "church mother." Church mothers historically serve as women service leaders in local congregations. The designated church mothers along with other "old and experienced" women from the church provide practical teaching of holiness in everyday life and practice. Yet today, many church mothers have been reserved for titular positions because many of the pastor's wives have taken over the role of women service leaders in local congregations. Regardless of what appears to be a clear boundary to serving because of ordination, women have been given great freedom and many opportunities to serve in the ministry at COGIC. As a result, many local hearings, foreign missions, and schools were established and through women's leadership and efforts at COGIC.

General Supervisor for Women's Department

• Mother Lizzie Woods Robinson - First General Mother (1911-1945)
• Mother Lillian Brooks Coffey - Second General Superintendent and Founding President of the International Women's Convention (1946-1964)
• Annie L. Bailey's mother - Third General Superintendent (1964-1975)
• Mother Mattie McGlothen - Fourth Supervisor (1975-1994)
• Mother Emma F. Crouch - Fifth Superintendent (1994-1997)
• Mother Willie Mae Rivers - The Sixth Supervisor (1997-2017)
• Barbara McCoo Lewis's Mother - The Seven General Supervisors (2017-Present)

Lizzie Woods Robinson (1911-1945) was the first "General Mother" of the church. Finding two groups of women in the church, one praying group known as the Prayer Band, another group studied and taught the Word known as the Bible Band, combining the two with the name of the Prayer and the Bible Band. He organized a sewing ring and after meeting Elder Searcy, he encouraged women to support mission work through the Home and Foreign Mission group. As the church continues to grow, he creates female helpers including the Class of Purity and the Sunshine Band. She started women's work at the state level and appointed the first state lady. Robinson is a faithful advocate of holiness and teaches strict guidelines for women in terms of dress and worldliness. He is very interested in the construction of Mason Temple and he maintains his national building funding works until he knows the building is ready for dedication. When he died in 1945, he had laid an impressive foundation for women's ministry at COGIC.

His successor, Lillian Brooks Coffey (1945-1964) is the organizer of the International Women's Convention to support the work of foreign missionaries. The first service was held in Los Angeles, California, in 1951. Today the International Women's Convention/KKR meets annually in May in different cities across the country that attract thousands of women from all over the world. This is one of the largest gatherings of Christian women of large denominations and religious organizations. Coffey was a child who became COGIC under Bishop Mason's preaching, and was very influential in organizing many of the auxiliary organizations, bands and units within the COGIC Women's Department. The most active female aides include: Missionary Circle, Hospitality, Executive Hotel, Hulda Club, Awake Wide Band, Minister Wives Circle, Deacon Woman, Deacon Wives Circle, Prayer Fighters, Young Women Christian Council, Usher Council, Education Committee, League Children, Big Brothers, Cradle Roll, Women's Choir, Board of Examiners, Public Relations, News Reporters and Burners Home and Foreign Missions Band. Coffey also began using the title "Jurisdictional Supervisor" for the first lady because more and more jurisdictions are formed in every state.

After the death of Mrs. Coffey in 1964, Dr. Annie L. Bailey (1964-1975), became the third General Supervisor. He was the wife and friend of Bishop John Seth Bailey, a trusted counselor of Bishop Mason, and then the first assistant to lead the bishop of the church. The couple modeled pastor and wife ministry teams at COGIC. He developed the International Women Convention into a training institution for women in ministry. He served as a supervisor of jurisdiction from several countries including Maryland and New Jersey helping to build and stabilize struggling jurisdictions. The units added during his tenure as general supervisor are: Business and Professional Women's Federation, Rescue Team, Sunday School Representative Unit, Charity Sisters, National Secretary Unit, and Jr. Missionary.

Dr. Mattie McGlothen (1975-1994) The fourth General Superintendent, was an outstanding organizer with great impact on the development of the Ministry of Women. She is the Superintendent of Women's Jurisdiction for California Northern First Jurisdiction. He founded new organizations including the International Hospitality Unit, the Scholarship Fund for Education and the Bishop, the We 12 and Lavendar Ladies. He built a house for missionaries in the Bahamas, a pavilion for the elderly and unmarried mothers in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He also founded Mattie McGlothen Library and Museum in Richmond, California, as a resource for historical facts and COGIC memorabilia. Finally, he changed the presence of the visible woman in service with the introduction of "custom" service. Today, thousands of COGIC women when serving the gospel or serving in official capacity are seen in their (black) or ceremonial (white) civil habits.

After the death of Mother McGlothen, Mother Emma F. Crouch (1994-1997) from Dallas, Texas, served as the fifth General Supervisor. She is the Superintendent of Female Jurisdiction for the Southwest Texas Jurisdiction Area under the late Bishop T. D. Iglehart. In his brief tenure, he encourages women to stay focused and support church leadership. One of his contributions is to divide the women's alliance in local congregations into two groups: the Christian Women Council for middle and senior women, and the Young Women Christian Council (YWCC) for younger women.

Mrs. Willie Mae Rivers (1997-2017) from Goose Creek, South Carolina, replaces Ms. Crouch. She is also the Women's Woman Jurisdiction Supervisor for South Carolina's Jurisdiction. He serves as chairman of the Supervisory Board, member, Executive Board, member, Screening Committee, member, General Church Program Committee, coordinator, Leadership Conference, Marshall International, Secretary, and Assistant General Supervisor for the Women's Department. A local church mother from the age of 21, she is committed to strengthening auxiliary organizations in local churches and preparing younger women to carry out COGIC missions into the 21st century. Under his leadership, the International Convention on Women added the term "Crusade" to highlight and promote the evangelistic approach of the convention. Mother Rivers also started "49 and Under" to register and focus young COGIC women to remain committed to the doctrines and teachings of the church. Mrs. Willie Mae Rivers serves faithfully for 20 years as a Public Mother until 2017 and is 91 years old.

The current Women's Watchdog is Dr. Barbara McCoo Lewis from Los Angeles, California. He is also the Jurisdictional Supervisor for First Jurisdiction, Southern California. She previously served on the Women's Advisory Board, Executive Board, Women's Steering Committee of the International Convention, Regional Supervisory Committee (West Coast Region of the United States), Program Committee members then Chair, Special Committee for Assistance Conventions, National Leadership Conference and Women's Leadership Conference, International Marshall, and General Assistant Supervisor. A visionary, he pioneered the formation of a multimillion-dollar Hale Morris Lewis Manor, a senior citizen complex in Los Angeles, CA.

Significant COGIC Woman at Ministry

As already stated, COGIC does not ordain women in a manner

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